Tag: suicide

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How Can I Help a Friend Struggling With Suicidal Thoughts?

Interview With Jon Noyes (Part 2)

In Part 2 of his interview with Know Why, Jon Noyes addresses the problem of suicide among young people. Jon encourages listeners to break the stigma around discussing suicide, gives practical tips for recognizing signs of suicidal thoughts, and helps listeners know why recognizing our identity as image-bearers of God is essential to tackling suicide and renewing hope. Don’t miss this important installment of our “Back to School” series.

Confronting Lies With Truth

Jon noted us that suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 34. As students return to high school this year, they’re likely to know someone who is struggling with their mental health or even having suicidal thoughts.

Jon told Know Why suicide is a growing problem because “people believe a lie, and the lie is that they’re better off dead than alive.”

To confront the lie, we need to speak truth, Jon said. The first step is ending the stigma surrounding discussions of suicide. That can include bringing the topic up to a friend we suspect is considering suicide, or reaching out others and being honest about our own mental health struggles.


“We’re devoid of hope in our culture.”

Jon Noyes

“When did it become ok not to express concern about other people?” Jon asked. “If we look at people and see them as God’s sees them, we should care enough to at least talk to them about their problems, or us talk to other people about our problems and be real with one another.”

Hope and Identity

Seeing people as God sees them is necessary for bringing hope to others, Jon told Know Why. It’s also essential for retaining hope ourselves. If we recognize that we are made in the image of God, we will know that our life has inherent value, and that we were designed for an eternal future with Jesus.

“Ultimately it all comes back to hope, and that hope is found in Christ, and we always need to be pointing people back to Christ, and reminding people daily who we are,” Jon told Know Why.

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Listen to Part 1 of Jon’s interview here.

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Podcasts

Is it Possible to Thrive With Anxiety and Depression?

Interview with Ben Bennett

Ben Bennett is the Director of the Resolution Movement, a speaker, and the co-author of Free to Thrive: How Your Hurt, Struggles, and Deepest Longings Can Lead to a Fulfilling Life. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Ben talks with Liberty about his personal journey from struggling to thriving—and how both brain science and biblical truth offered breakthroughs.

Millennials and Gen Z: Hurting Like Never Before

  • In 2019, 70% of teens said anxiety and depression are major problems amongst their peers according to Pew Research Center.
  • In the last five years, some research has shown that young adults are 63 times more lonely than those over 75 years old.
  • Only 4% of Gen Z hold to a biblical worldview, and is historically the least religious generation in American history.
  • Suicide is a leading leading cause of death among young people.

Ben also noted that few pastors report feeling very well equipped to help people with their mental and emotional struggles. As someone raised in the Christian church, Ben felt this personally. As he began dealing with multiple mental health issues and addictions, he felt alone and thought he would struggle forever.

“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life.”

Ben Bennett
Resolution Movement

“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life,” Ben told Know Why Podcast. “I was trying everything I was hearing from Christians at the time but it just didn’t seem to work.”

Neuroplasticity: Renewing Your Mind

What Ben details in his book Free to Thrive with co-author Josh McDowell is that often, addictions, “unwanted behaviors,” and mental health struggles are humans’ attempted solutions to fill unmet longings. Everyone has ingrained longings such as acceptance. Not getting those longings fulfilled can trigger unwanted responses.

But those responses can be overcome by creating new pathways in your brain.

“Brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”

Ben Bennett
Resolution Movement

“I just saw anxiety in my life go down by about 90 percent,” Ben said, “And what I realized was happening was, I was being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2), and neuroplasticity—brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”

Listen to the full episode to hear Ben explain neuroplasticity more and how it helped him overcome food addiction, pornography addiction, and anxiety when the well-meaning advice of others couldn’t. Ben also challenges listeners to think differently about Christianity, even if they have experienced legitimate hurts from Christians.

“It’s not that the bad’s not bad,” he told Know Why Podcast. “It’s that the good is too good to walk away from.”

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